Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1519224
2 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 17 APRIL 2024 2 MATTHEW VELLA mvella@mediatoday.com.mt ANIMAL rights NGOs are call- ing for strict rules against abusive and illegal breeding of dangerous dogs. Following the seizure of 27 bul- ly breed dogs found in horrible conditions and rescued by An- imal Welfare, the NGOs Vuċi għall-Annimali, Association for Abandoned Animals, Gozo SP- CA, Noah's Ark Dog Sanctuary and The Island Sanctuary are calling for a temporary ban of the breeding and importation of all bully breed dogs as also proposed by The Commissioner for Animal Welfare, until the situation has adequately improved. "We advocate for a compre- hensive approach to address this issue, including stricter regula- tions against abuse and illegal breeding practices, increased efforts to enforce existing laws, and initiatives to promote re- sponsible pet ownership and adoption," the NGOs said. The proposed ban would in- clude also mixed breed bully breeds. "This petition aims to gath- er public support to safeguard these breeds and their mixes from exploitation by abusers and backyard breeders. Too of- ten, these dogs are abandoned with cropped ears and lacking microchips, which indicates that illegal ear cropping practic- es are still being done in Malta. Additionally, many are tragical- ly subjected to dogfighting or used as bait-dogs, while female dogs are exploited as puppy breeding machines," the NGOs said. An alarming overpopulation of these breeds end up in sanctu- aries or animal welfare facilities, with few prospects for adoption. "It is unjust and unkind to confine these dogs to a lifetime in pens. It is important to state that this ban is for specifically the ban of breeding and impor- tation and does not mean a ban of any dogs already in care." Animal Welfare officials res- cued 27 bully breed dogs from a Ħaż-Żebbuġ residence after they were being kept in bad and unsanitary conditions. Officials confiscated the dogs after they received a report. After entering the residence to confirm reports, dogs were found in steel chains and in a bad condition. Among the con- fiscated dogs are two female dogs who had just gave birth to puppies. The dogs were successfully re- located to housing pens. Some of the dogs need to be admin- istered veterinary care because of the dire conditions they were found in. Speaking to MaltaToday, An- imal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina said this was an- other case of the ongoing issue surrounding bully breeds, insist- ing a ban on the breeds needs to implemented immediately. "Should another similar case happen again tomorrow, there will be nowhere to house the dogs. I am informed that it took a massive logistical effort to house the dogs confiscated to- day," she said. In her 2021 end of year re- port, Bezzina had called for a nation-wide ban on the impor- tation and breeding of bully breeds. She argued that bull breeds ac- count for many dogs which are abandoned by their owners and thrown out into the streets. She also insisted that sanctuar- ies are no longer housing bully breeds as they tend to be more energetic and aggressive than other dogs, and end up not be- ing adopted. "This is why I want a ban on these breeds," she said. Petition to ban breeding and import of bully dogs proposed by animal rights NGOs The proposed ban would include also mixed breed bully breeds CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 An exercise carried out by MaltaToday on a sample of 18 cars flagged by multi- ple industry sources, shows discrepancies ranging between 30,000km and 130,000km between the original mileage and the one registered in Malta. Keith Cutajar, who had been appointed by the court for this purpose, told Magis- trate Rachel Montebello on Monday that some of the devices seized by cybercrime authorities during searches related to the suspected odometer fraud could be used for multiple purposes and could be oper- ated by anyone. Cutajar was testifying in the compilation of evidence against car importers Rod- erick and Alison Vella from Żabbar and Alexander Spiteri from Mellieħa, who are pleading not guilty to charges of money laundering, fraud, and involvement in a criminal conspiracy. Previous proceedings revealed that a Transport Malta internal investigation, and the subsequent magisterial inquiry, had revealed hundreds of vehicles that had been sold by Rokku Auto Dealer, owned by the Vellas, and by Alexander Auto Dealer, owned by Spiteri, to have had their mile- age counters reduced by up to 110,000 kilometers. Cutajar presented the court with a 600-page report, which he had compiled with the help of two other experts. Amongst the electronic devices handed over to the expert for inspection by the police were 81 USB drives, twelve mobile phones, eight computers and two diag- nostic tools called OBD connectors, which apart from legitimate vehicle diagnostics, can also be used to modify a vehicle's data, including its mileage. Initially identifying around 480 vehicles, Cutajar had recommended inspecting a subset of approximately 50 to 60 vehicles at the police lot in Ta' Kandja. 46 vehicles were found to have tampered mileage. A subsequent batch of 34 vehicles were scheduled for inspection at a later date. Cross-examined by defence lawyer Fran- co Debono, Cutajar said that the nature of the devices seized did not provide conclu- sive evidence of who conducted the tam- pering, because they lacked user-specific authentication. The witness also stressed that while OBD connectors had lawful applications, they were also a risk of them being misused to alter data. The court also heard the testimonies of two customers who had purchased Toyota Vitz models from Rokku Autodealer, both of whom later discovered discrepancies between their vehicle's official documents and the recorded odometer readings. One customer received a settlement offer of €1,500 after purchasing the car for €8,900, while another settled for €1,000 after pur- chasing his car for €5,500. The case, presided by Magistrate Rachel Montebello, continues. The prosecution is being conducted by lawyers Etienne Savona and Marthese El- lul Grech from the Office of the Attorney General. The defendants are being assisted by lawyers, Franco Debono, Jason Azzo- pardi and Marion Camilleri. A MaltaToday investigation in 2022 revealed how the two car dealers were selling second-hand cars with tampered mileage gauges Devices seized did not provide conclusive evidence of who conducted the odometer tampering